Finals in Australia’s major sporting codes are in full swing.

And six weeks after the AFL grand final is played, the other biggest show of the year - the men’s, and women’s, draft - begins.

But the work to find the next big thing starts years earlier, when scouts hunt for teenagers who possess unusual qualities.

I’m Samantha Selinger-Morris, and you’re listening to The Morning Edition, from The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.

Today, explainer reporter Madeleine Heffernan and sports reporter Peter Ryan, on the making of a sports star.

Further reading:

• 'The winning formula: Do you have what it takes to be the next footy star?'

The Morning Edition brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris, from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

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